Dashboard for vehicles



(No Model.)

0. R. STEELE. DASHBOARD FOR VEHIGLES.

Patented Dec. 31, 1895.

INVENTOR W/ TNE SSE S.

A TTOHNE xs.

AN DREW EGRAHAM. PNOTO-UMO.WASIIIN GTDN, RC,

NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES R. STEELE, OF OPELOUSAS, LOUISIANA.

DASHBOARD FOR VEHICLES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 552,402, dated December 31, 1895.

Application filed March 19, 1895 To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CHARLES R. ST ELE, of Opelousas, in the parish of St. Landry and State of Louisiana, have invented a new and Improved Dashboard, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to certain improvements in vehicle-dashboards and has for its object to provide a device of this character of a simple and inexpensive construction which shall be adapted to serve as a convenient receptacle for various articles ordinarily required for driving, whereby said articles may, when not required for use, he compactly and neatly stored away and in such a manner as to be readily and conveniently applied in position when required for use.

The invention consists in a dashboard having double walls spaced apart to form between them a chamber of suitable dimensions to receive two rollers journaled therein one above the other, a lap-robe secured to the lower roller and extending through an opening in one wall of the dashboard and adapted when required for use to be unwound from said roller, and an apron or boot secured to the upper roller in the chamber and also extending through the opening in the wall of the dashboard and arranged to cover and protect the lap-robe from the rain, &c., when the lap-robe and boot are in use.

The invention also contemplates certain novel features of construction and arrangements and combinations of the various parts of the improved dashboard, whereby certain important advantages are attained and the dashboard is made better adapted for use than other similar devices heretofore employed, all as will be hereinafter fully set forth.

The novel features of the invention will be carefully defined in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indi cate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is an end View showing a dashboard constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a transverse section taken vertically through the same, showing the rollers journaled in the chamber and the lap-robe and apron securedto said rollers and in their Serial No. 542,345. (No model.)

drawn-out positions, as when in use. Fig. 3

the inclosed parts; and Fig 4 is a horizontal section taken through the dashboard. This view is drawn to a reduced scale.

In the views 1 represents the dashboard as a whole having front and rear walls spaced away from each other to form between them a chamber or hollow 2, extending longitudinally of the dashboard, wherein are journaled two rollers 3 3 of similar construction ar ranged parallel and one above the other. At its upper part the front and rearwalls are bent or inclined toward each other, asclearly seen in Figs. 1 and 2, whereby a central angle or edge is formed at the top of and extending longitudinally of the dashboard.

At the ends of the dashboard, the front and rear walls thereof are also beveled or inclined to ward each other so as to form similar central angles or edges extending up the said ends, as clearly seen in Figs. 1 and 4. In this way it will be seen that the ends of the dashboard are given a V shape in cross-section.

-The front wall of the dashboard is provided with two openings at 4, extending longitudinally thereof parallel to each other, and said openings 4 are adapted to be closed by a flap or cover 5 secured to the front wall of the dashboard above said openings with its lower part free and adapted to hang down in position to close the same, in which position it may be held by means of buttons 6 or other devices secured at the lower part of the dashboard. The flap or cover 6 may be held in its raised position, as seen in Fig. 1, by means of hooks 7 or equivalent devices secured to the upper part of the dashboard.

The rollers 3 3 may be of any preferred construction, but for convenience it will usually be desirable to use spring-actuated rollers operating after the manner of shaderollers, and to protect the operative devices of the rollers against dampness, whereby they would become soon spoiled by rust, it will usually be desirable to inclose the ends of the rollers in tight-fitting protecting caps or covers 8, as indicated in Fig. 3.

A lap-robe 9 of any ordinary kind is secured to the lower roller 3 in chamber 2, and

is wound thereon with its end arranged to be drawn through the lower opening 4 in the front wall of the dashboard and provided with straps 11 or other means for securing it in position, and to the upper roller 3 in chamber 2 is secured an apron or boot 10, which will usually be of waterproof material, said apron being also wound on its roller with its end arranged to be drawn through the upper opening 4 in the front wall of the dashboard, as clearly seen in Fig. 2.

The apron or boot is provided, as seen in Fig. 2, with side flaps at opposite sides adapted when the apron is in use to hang down and close the sides of the carriage, and on its upper face said apron is provided with another flap 12 secured at one edge thereto and extending transversely thereacross, the other edge of said flap 12 being free and be ing provided with eyes 13 or the like to receive pins it set along the central angle of the top of the dashboard.

In operation it will be seen that when desired for use, either the apron 10 or the laprobe 9 maybe drawn out from the chamber 2 into position, and when released both will be returned to said chamber and held stored therein in a compact manner by the springactuated rollers 3. hen both the lap-robe and storm-apron are in use, it will be seen that the latter being arranged over the former completely houses and-protects the laprobe from the rain, &c., thus not only preventing the laprobe from being soiled and rotted, but increasing the comfort of the occupants of the vehicle.

The provision of the flap 12 extending from the apron 10 to the central angle or peak of the dashboard also prevents the rain-water from running down within the chamber 2 so as to collect on the floor of the vehicle-body, as it would be likely to do were no such device provided.

The construction of the device as above described is extremely simple and inexpensive and provides a very convenient means for storing the lap-robe and boot when not in use, said devices being at the same time maintained in position to be readily accessible at any time. The device is also of a neat and ornamental appearance and owing t9 the bevel or V shape of the ends, said ends v ien seen in perspective present the appearanc: an ordinary dashboard, although, oi. coui "he full thickness of the device is apparent when one looks directly at the end thereof.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. A vehicle having its dash board constructed with double walls whereby a chamber is formed in the dash-board, one wall of the dash board being provided with an. opening, a roller journaled in said chamber, an apron secured to said roller and arranged to pass through the opening in the dash board, a flap secured to the apronextending transversely across the same and having its free edge separated therefrom and adapted to be secured to the top of the dashboard when the apron is nnrolled, and fastening devices at the top of the dash board to engage the said flap, substantially as set forth 2. A vehicle having a dash board constructed with double walls whereby a chamber is formed in the dash board, one wall of the dash board being provided with an opening, two rollers journaled in the chamber in the dashboard one over the other, a lap robe secured to the lower roller and arranged to pass through the opening in the wall of the dash board, an apron secured to the upper roller in the chamber and arranged. to pass through the opening in the wall of the dash board above the lap robe, whereby the same is covered and protected, a flap secured at one edge to the apron and extending trans versely across the same, said flap having one edge free and means for securing the free edge of the flap to the top of the dashboard, substantially as set forth.

3. A vehicle dash board constructed with double walls spaced away from each other to form a chamber between them, the walls of. said dash board being beveled vertieall y toward each other at their ends whereby V- shaped ends are formed on said dash board, the wall of the dashboard having a longitudinal opening, a roller journaled in the hollow of the dash board and a lap rug or the like socured to and adapted to be wound on said roller and having its end arranged to pass through the longitudinal opening in the wall of the dash board, substantially as set forth.

CHARLES R. STEELE.

Witnesses:

E. NORTH OULLoM, \V. J. SANnoz. 

